We’ve all heard how great ergonomic office furniture is for a business but the importance of ergonomic furniture has never been more pronounced than it is now. With more employees working from home it’s crucial that the right office chairs Toronto are used in both home offices and in physical business offices. There are too many people working from home that are sinking into a comfortable sofa with a pillow balancing their laptop.
People that are working at home often don’t have an ergonomic chair that they can use while sitting at the kitchen table. Many workers did not set up a home office environment before the pandemic began and were caught by surprise when they had to work at home. Businesses must ensure that all employees, either working on-site or off-site, are using ergonomic furniture because it does affect the ROI of the company.
Increased Productivity
It’s extremely difficult for employees to work to the best of their capabilities when they are experiencing mental fatigue, physical pain and discomfort. They will not be able to perform as many tasks during the day and will end up taking more time off work as a result of their physical ailments. The ROI of the business suffers when ergonomic office chairs Toronto and other ergonomic furniture are not an integral part of the office scene.
Medical and Legal Claims
It has been estimated that almost 33% of the compensation claims filed by workers are due to musculoskeletal disorders. This includes damaged tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and muscles. Ergonomic modern office furniture is key to preventing these types of disorders.
Higher Retention of Employees
It’s important to keep the morale of the office high by providing optimum comfort so that work can be performed well. Employees that are able to accomplish tasks that are challenging are much more likely to remain on the job. This means that the company will spend less time searching for new employees and won’t have to train as many either.
Quality of Work
In order to ensure that the company is getting the best quality of work from all employees it must provide an environment that promotes a focused mind and a strong body. Strong employees equates to a strong business with a higher income potential.
The ROI of Ergonomic Office Chairs
Making the investment in ergonomic office chairs is a win-win situation for both the business owner and the employees. This type of investment is just as important if not more important than investing in quality recruitment and training. With lower medical expenses, less lost workdays and fewer unheld positions, the company will experience explosive ROI relatively quickly.
Research has clearly shown that an intensive ergonomic program set forth in the workplace is always cost-effective. When you keep employees productive and in a good mind frame, they will feel more invested in the company and will feel like the company really cares for them. In return they will provide more dedication, hard work and commitment to their company. Investing in ergonomic office chairs is one of the best assets that you can give to your business.
It can be difficult to actually determine the ROI of this type of investment since there is no clear-cut simple answer. One of the factors that can be looked at, however, in order to estimate the ROI are the indirect and direct costs that are associated with employee injuries. You can examine the direct costs by examining what you have been paying for compensation claims by workers and the additional costs for medical care such as physical therapy.
The indirect costs involved may be more difficult to determine but they may include the following:
- Less productivity
- Increased premiums for insurance
- Higher turnover rate
- Replacement costs for any damaged materials
While it can be hard to put an exact number on the indirect costs you can make general assumptions of what these costs would be. In general, it is usually found that there is a ratio that equates to 4:1. This means that an investment in ergonomic office chairs will provide a substantial ROI to the company.
There have been a lot of long-range studies that have looked at the ROI of ergonomics. One study in particular, conducted by the (GAO) Government’s General Accounting Office in the United States determined that the cost of injury claims following an intervention of an ergonomic program was lowered by as much as $16,500 on average. Other studies showed that the payback period for interventions with ergonomic furniture such as ergonomic chairs was less than a year.
Happy Employees = A Flourishing Business
There is no doubt that keeping employees happy and healthy should be an important part of any organization’s goals. Google is one of the biggest and most prominent companies in the world and it has set up programs to make sure that the employees can work to the best of their abilities at all times. People are scrambling to work at Google and for good reason. The care of workers should always be a priority for a business that wants to last long into the future and prosper.
Modern Office Furniture in Toronto
If your office is still full of older, traditional types of chairs it’s time to upgrade them ASAP. Modern office furniture is designed with ergonomics in mind all the way from office chairs up to office desks and cubicles. Older furniture was designed without taking ergonomics into account and your employees will suffer if you are still using old-school office furniture.
As a business with remote workers you should also support the purchase of ergonomic office chairs for these employees. Make sure that everyone that is working for you is positioned correctly when working at the kitchen table or at a desk and has the proper lumbar support. The ROI results prove that taking employee health into your own hands is something that should be done sooner than later.
Find out more about ergonomics and modern office furniture by visiting our website now at www.gwfurniture.ca.